2019 Deer regulations "What a joke"

CaptainMusky wrote:

So, I am a lucky person who hunts in one of the new CWD zones, zone 604 if memory serves after looking last night.

So, the history goes that a deer farm in Merrifield had a deer test positive for CWD several years ago. They could have had the entire herd tested, which would have meant they would have been killed, but the owner “opted” not to which the DNR then enacted the CWD testing which has been in place the subsequent years.

Last winter a deer in the area was struck and killed by a car and it was apparently affected by CWD which now leads us to this “management” of basically killing every deer in the area.

I find it ridiculous that if a restaurant fails a health inspection they get shut down by the government, but if a deer farm has infected animals they are allowed to continue operations.

This deer farm has since destroyed their entire herd from what I have been told, but why was it allowed to for so long after the initial diagnosis?

Also, it sure would be nice if they could develop a test for this that could involve testing a live animal.

I can confirm the deer herd was destroyed I know that area very well. All those deer are gone now.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

why wasn’t the entire state under the rule?

Because they were testing it out in the area with the most hunters demanding it. APR came about only through hunter input. I’m also not aware of any thing supporting the hypothesis that APR is responsible for CWD. However, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence that supports captive deer introducing CWD to different areas.

Tom Sawvell wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tbro16 wrote:</div>
Property I hunt is basically right on the line of 343 and 643 near Byron. 343 is considered a “CWD Control Zone” where we have the limit of 1 buck per hunter per year, but has no antler point restriction. Sounds like we still pick either A or B season, don’t get both.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/map.html

Are you sure the “legal” buck isn’t one as defined under the APR? I see nothing where those restrictions have been set aside for this area.

This is what I’m looking at, Tom.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/cwd/se/se-control-zone.html

Get 1 buck (no APR), 3 deer limit, but appears that you hunt either A or B, not both. Correct?

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>poomunk wrote:</div>
So, are you guys reading it the same that I can buy a ‘A’ season tag and that license is good for the B season and muzzleloader season should I not fill it in the first (or second)?(I’m a non resident FYI)?

No.

You can buy an A and hunt A&B… Same as last year. I did it.
But you cannot hunt muzzleload without a muuzzleload license.
Just like you cannot buy a bow license and hunt with a shotgun.

I got my Ravin crossbow ready to go this year! Going to be fun!

Dang, as much as I’ve grown to despise the traditional WI 9 day firearm season I don’t know that I can just up and leave the rest of the family during it. Was hoping I could maybe MZ season hunt in Minnesota without dropping another $190 bucks.

The ironic part is I hunt A season with a muzzleloader, shoots better than my shotgun.

poomunk wrote:

The ironic part is I hunt A season with a muzzleloader, shoots better than my shotgun.

Yeah man that is what I do also. Except this year will be crossbow only for me.

You can hunt both a & b in cwd zone
Was that way last year also.

tbro16 wrote:

Get 1 buck (no APR), 3 deer limit, but appears that you hunt either A or B, not both. Correct?

I found that which you link after making my post to you.

Are you hunting south of Highway 14? Big deer country down in that long valley.

I have to choose between the A and B season. I hunt the A season using a muzzleloader, either a long gun or the Optima .50 pistol. As a rule I buy the primary license and a bonus tag. Unless a good head comes by early I’ll fill the bonus first. My best antler filling days have been Thursday or the second Saturday. My best buck off the hill was taken the last 20 minutes of the last day.

CWD When you can,t even get the so called experts to agree on what causes it! One thing everyone is in agreement the prion is one tough customer. From following CWD from the year 2000 there most definitely is a link with game farms. Why states have not cracked down on them is baffling ! What will we do do about blue tongue , hemorrhagic disease,bovine tuberculosis the list goes on and on .

I love to hunt whitetail deer. I grew up doing it on our family land in Buffalo County WI for many years and have countless memories I’ll take to the grave.

At the same time, I’m going on my fourth consecutive Fall of “just” coaching, fishing, and doing projects at home. Deer hunting simply isn’t what it was when I grew up. The camaraderie, neighborly gatherings, simplicity of an unconnected weekend are all but gone for so many people. I’ve shot a lot of deer and don’t really care what a deer scored, who laid “claim” to it having it on their cameras, where a neighbor puts their stand, what latest greatest gear is available, or if someone shoots immature deer. With our group shrinking from ~18 guys to only 8 or 9 of the originals, I too stepped away. I still go to the cabin and visit with the group for a night each season, but the actual hunting has been moved down my priority list once a few elders passed and the generational changes have taken over. Reading all these regulations and their respective banter and the infinite stances on CWD makes me more sure of my choice than ever. I still enjoy putting in food plots, working on the cabin, being in the woods, cutting trails, etc. which makes most of my former group members assume I’ve lost my sanity. Personally, I feel I’m the only sane one left.

I hope you’re all still finding the joy in deer hunting that hooked me in the first place.

You guys make it seem like deer hunting is a chore…the laws are pretty basic and common sense. Sure, CWD may have put a spoiler on a few very small ares in the state with a couple stipulations but how one can not figure out the rules and regulations is beyond me. No the DNR is not perfect. But neither are hunters. and to give up hunting cause you can’t read a rule book? If thats beyond your limits, give them a call or email.

go out an enjoy the hunt, the scenery, the sounds, the wildlife…and if a deer show’s it’s face, take’er! Wear orange. have the appropriate tag. have the appropriate caliber of weapon. hang a stand and hunt. What’s so complicated about that?????

ClownColor wrote:

go out an enjoy the hunt, the scenery, the sounds, the wildlife…and if a deer show’s it’s face, take’er! Wear orange. have the appropriate tag. have the appropriate caliber of weapon. hang a stand and hunt. What’s so complicated about that?????

It isnt that its overly complicated its just that there is so much change from year over year now I cannot transport my entire deer from where I harvest it to where I get my deer processed.
I dont have the luxury of skill and time to cut up my deer where we hunt so this is going to be a big issue for me and my kids. We have to wait for an all clear test before we can move the animal. So what am I supposed to do with it? yeah, I could cut the animal up where I hunt, but currently I am not equipped to do that. My kids are not much help due to their age and I am the only adult hunting. So when we shoot our 157 antlerless deer this year I am going to have a mess on my hands.

Sickening!!!!

RVRDUX

CaptainMusky wrote:

So what am I supposed to do with it?

DNR has a freezer trailer for youse guys, at the same location as it gets tested.

Free

CaptainMusky wrote:

It isnt that its overly complicated its just that there is so much change from year over year now I cannot transport my entire deer from where I harvest it to where I get my deer processed.
I dont have the luxury of skill and time to cut up my deer where we hunt so this is going to be a big issue for me and my kids. We have to wait for an all clear test before we can move the animal. So what am I supposed to do with it? yeah, I could cut the animal up where I hunt, but currently I am not equipped to do that. My kids are not much help due to their age and I am the only adult hunting. So when we shoot our 157 antlerless deer this year I am going to have a mess on my hands.

You will have a mess with 157 dead deer that’s for sure…but, learn how quick and easy it is to quarter a reasonable amount of deer shot, and you’ll get back to enjoying hunting. I bet you can quarter a deer in less time then gutting one…and you may not even have to hit it! And if you got a knife, you gave the luxury and equipment to do so.

That looks simple enough, never saw that done before. My dad never deer hunted so I have really taught myself what I do know. I didnt listen to the vid, but watched it, he left the tenderloins behind (maybe he said something about that, but again, didnt listen). That is one of the best parts.
Funny thing, I use the exact same knife.

That’s criminal how much meat he left on that deer. I don’t care if your 5 miles in or 2 steps off the road, that is wasteful as heck! The last back strap he took off he left 6″ of the back section of it. If you can’t pack the meat out don’t go 5 miles in and shoot the deer.

CaptainMusky wrote:

That looks simple enough, never saw that done before. My dad never deer hunted so I have really taught myself what I do know. I didnt listen to the vid, but watched it, he left the tenderloins behind (maybe he said something about that, but again, didnt listen). That is one of the best parts.
Funny thing, I use the exact same knife.

Those knives are great!

You’ll definitely want the tenderloins and back straps as I’ll agree, best part! Regardless of their quality (vid) it’s pretty simple to quarter out a deer in the woods. I’m sure, even your first time, you’ll have it gutted and quartered in less than an hour easy…probably closer to 30 minutes.

Mine go to DNR checking station, and an hour later it is in bags.

Find a tree or post to hang it.
I debone while hanging, with butt up. Last cut and the carcass drops to the ground. Easy peasy.

Bringing a whole deer to the butcher is just wrong! Who knows what happens to your meat…or rather who’s meat you get and what did that Hunter do.

I went all in this year and have grinder and stuffer so it will be 100% done my way. I hated waiting until January to bring it to a butcher so I could ensure they didn’t mix meat. Beautiful thing.

Unfortunately this CWD thing is probably not going to go away for a while. Its been a problem in central Wisconsin for a lot longer than it has been here. You can either deal with it the best you can or hunt in another zone.

The issue I have is the DNR defined a CWD Management Zone in the CWD Response Plan (dated July 2019) as “a defined area no less than 15 miles around a CWD-positive detection.” These CWD zones go WAY, WAY beyond the 15 mile radius of a CWD-positive detection!

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/research/health/disease/cwd/cwd_responseplan.pdf

Agree with me or not we have CWD here in Wisconsin, not every deer contracts CWD let it run it`s course thru the herd and be done with it. This killing every deer in a certain area is just stupid, there is no real control only wishful thinking.

CWD is a real serious issue. Wisconsin did not control it properly thereby losing control. The DNR is being aggressive in trying to limit its spread. There are several responses on this site that are beyond ignorant, anti-science, or simply DNR bashing. There are resources available to read or watch and become informed on CWD. Common sense is not education on a complex prion based disease. While there are no cases so far of CWD crossing to humans, a mutation could result in it happening. Mad cow disease was a prion based disease which did. I would want nothing to do with any venison from an infected area that is not tested.

What I see is by trying to eradicate all deer from the infected area you are more then likely eradicating deer that CWD does not affect so it like cutting your own throat. The deer not affected is the future of the herd. The way nature has always worked the strongest survive ( except humans now )..

I read that you can now use a dog to track deer and bear in MN. Do any of you guys plan on using dogs this fall to track wounded game? I am wondering if getting my dog involved will be worth it.

If it help aiding and recover of a deer. I would use a dog to give me every chance. I was glad to see that law added.

sticker wrote:

That’s criminal how much meat he left on that deer

I have to agree. By the time you add some pork or beef I could easily make a 25lb batch of hotdogs for the kids with what he left behind. I feel like I go overboard cleaning mine but yet when im done my dad will still find enough left for dinner for him and mom.

Cool my yard will be deer free this season in crosslake.

David Bollig wrote:

CWD is a real serious issue. Wisconsin did not control it properly thereby losing control. The DNR is being aggressive in trying to limit its spread. There are several responses on this site that are beyond ignorant, anti-science, or simply DNR bashing. There are resources available to read or watch and become informed on CWD. Common sense is not education on a complex prion based disease. While there are no cases so far of CWD crossing to humans, a mutation could result in it happening. Mad cow disease was a prion based disease which did. I would want nothing to do with any venison from an infected area that is not tested.

So in an area that has a cwd positive animal found, and that herd needs to be no holds bar eradicated, why not allow baiting or other means that would allow hunters an easier time harvesting deer?

I’m not for baiting.

Just curious if they want animals harvested, why not explore means to eradicate a herd?

Or are we not talking about herd eradication, but herd reduction?

If either of those are what the dnr is after, neither will eliminate the spread of cwd.

It lives in the soil and no one is sure how long, so what does herd reduction or even eradication do long term? Yes, it “might” lessen the spread to individual animals but it will most certainly not eradicate it from the soil. And highly unlikely to get every animal, or enough to really make a substantial dent in the spread other than short term. Killing lots of deer, without total eradication and the fact it lives in the soil, is a bandaid for a much bigger problem.

Don’t have all the answers and don’t know the future. But not sure massive herd reductions is the right answer, just because it “feels” like the right thing to do. Lots of unknowns and maybe massive herd reductions in positive areas might help, but we still don’t know it will. And is nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to a very complex issue.

Have friends that hunt on the west side of 604 that use to be 246 and I don’t envy them.

We have been told at our rod and gun club meetings by “officials”, once introduced nothing will kill or eradicate a Prion. It can survive on any surface.

So any meat market or storage unit holding carcasses probably has prions there and will transfer it to non infected meat or carcasses.

The prions will be on “clean” surfaces and utensils.

I’m not certain and maybe someone from Wisconsin can speak on this but didn’t Wisconsin have these eradication hunts too? If they did, and according to Mr.Bollig Wisconsin did it wrong, why are the talking heads in Minnesota using the same, ineffective tactic?

Tom Sawvell wrote:

I’m not certain and maybe someone from Wisconsin can speak on this but didn’t Wisconsin have these eradication hunts too? If they did, and according to Mr.Bollig Wisconsin did it wrong, why are the talking heads in Minnesota using the same, ineffective tactic?

I live and hunt in the bullseye center of the 4-county CWD hot zone in Wisconsin, and we find big bucks dead on the ground every spring when the snow melts – deer that outsmarted all the hunters but couldn’t outsmart the disease. That 3- or 4-year-old buck you pass up for next year might just die from a disease that is 100% fatal before you get to see it again.
No big deal? Let it run its course?

The special regulations didn’t end/change in Wisconsin because they were ineffective, they ended because they were unpopular and a new (at the time) Governor followed through on a campaign promise to get rid of unpopular hunting regulations. The impact of those regulations (earn-a-buck and extended doe hunting seasons/permits) is a matter of some disagreement, but imho they weren’t in place long enough, nor were they cooperated with well enough by hunters – and the rate of CWD in the herd and the geographical spread has increased since they were removed. Eradication is unrealistic, but limiting the spread and impact was possible through aggressive harvest of does.

I do know I sure as hell don’t want it anywhere near where I hunt in Minnesota (area 241) and we’re not far away from one of the deer farms that had a positive test in 2017 (area 604). Killing all the deer on the farm doesn’t remove the prions from the ground because they’re pretty much there forever and just re-infect deer once they return.